Swap Meets and Stoplights: Pioneer Power and Tri-State 2013

I went to two big swap meets this spring. I started out with the Pioneer Power Swap Meet in Le Sueur, Minn., on April 25-28. I was going into this with all the snow and cold we’d all experienced this spring, and was pretty skeptical about the weather predicament up there. The Tuesday before the meet, they had 8 inches of snow. So I packed my Carhartt coat, heavy gloves, rain poncho and mud boots and headed up to Minnesota from Kansas. By the time all was said and done, on Friday and Saturday it was 70 degrees and sunny! I even saw someone taking a picture of the roadway on the grounds with dust blowing around, right beside a big wet mud hole. There was a big crowd due to the weather. Friday, as I was coming to the show, I had to wait in traffic for 40 minutes just to park, and as I pulled up to the sheriff who was directing traffic, he said, “the 20-acre parking lot is full, good luck!”

The vendors and club members I talked to were happy with the turnout and sales were going well.

Above is a new product at the Kettle River Ironworks booth by Steve and Linda Peterson of Menagha, Minnesota. Their website is www.kettleriverironworks.com.

You can’t believe the interesting things you can see at the swap meets. Not only is there everything for just about every piece of equipment or tractor if you look hard enough, but also quite an array of other items. I’m always reminded of the creativity and engineering abilities of the folks in this hobby!

You should come see for yourself at the next swap meet in Le Sueur. April 25-27, 2014.

My next trip was the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Swap meet in Portland, Indiana. May 15-18. The weather was just perfect this year except for a good downpour of rain on Friday night. Again, lots of vendors were set up and selling their wares and folks were enjoying the camaraderie of the swap meet.

It looks like there is some wheelin’ and dealin’ going on here!

Check out this line up of John Deere Patio garden tractors with the one special pink version.

Sometimes I mention my fave food finds at the shows. A booth with giant fish sandwiches always has a long line of people waiting to bite into the crunchy swap meet favorite. You can hardly see the bun for the size of the fish, and yep I had one!

Like I said earlier, you can find about anything at the swap meets and I found something I just had to have! I ended up with a real working stoplight and it is hanging up in our shop at home right now. Why!? I don’t know, it’s just a fun conversation piece I guess!

Come to the Swap meet in Portland, Ind., next year and find something you can’t live without!